Naruto: The Teaching System - 278

Chapter 278: This War Ends Here

In the sky, shockwaves cracked like thunder.

Ōnoki’s chakra blazed as he fired Dust Release beams one after another, a storm of white lances tearing through the air. Sawada met the barrage without a flicker of panic—his fists, sheathed in Yang Release: Armament, shattered every Dust Release beam that came at him. No matter how far Ōnoki tried to fly, Sawada closed the distance in an instant.

When another small Dust Release beam broke apart on contact, Ōnoki regretted choosing the sky as his battlefield. He was the one who had always run others ragged; now a kid was making a fool of him.

But if he didn’t hold this brat here, Iwagakure’s last tailed beast might be taken. The brat had already earned a nickname across the shinobi world: the Tailed Beast Terminator. He’d beaten the Four-Tails and the Eight-Tails—more than enough to make anyone wary.

Sawada thought the same. Tailed beasts could be handled—Jiraiya-senpai could hold out, at least for a while. If Ōnoki slipped away to meddle, Jiraiya would be riding home in a cart. Dust Release wasn’t just tricky—it was lethal. Not everyone had a way to counter it. Not everyone had Yang Release: Armament.

“What’s wrong? Not going to avenge your son? Or are you too old for that? Let the young have your spot already,” Sawada called, never letting his mouth rest. The moment he treated Ōnoki like anything but a lethal opponent, he’d die a miserable death. Rattle the old man’s mind, then find the opening to hit him.

“Damn brat!”

As expected, Ōnoki’s red nose flushed deeper. Bloodshot fury burned in his eyes. His hands flipped—and a far more dangerous aura welled up around him.

“Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!”

A gigantic transparent cube blossomed from Ōnoki’s hands, brilliance flooding the sky. It swallowed Sawada whole.

Jiraiya felt the surge of light and glanced up. When he saw the massive technique overhead, his face went tight.

“Jiraiya! Don’t space out!” Gamabunta roared, exasperation all over his wide mouth. Their opponent was a tailed beast—and Jiraiya was still getting distracted.

The Five-Tails took the chance. Its tails swept across, each one a battering ram. A shockwave boomed and gusted outward. Gamabunta’s massive body lifted and tumbled.

Panting in the sky, Ōnoki stared at his technique flaring with power. “If killing you is the price, I’ll pay anything!” he shouted toward the cube that held Sawada. At this range, there was no escape. Even if the brat had some trick to blunt Dust Release, the continuous effect of Detachment of the Primitive World would grind him down to atoms.

“Is that so?”

The voice drifted calmly from within the glowing cube. The next heartbeat, the white radiance looked as if it were being devoured by a darkness so dense it swallowed light.

“What?!” Ōnoki stared, stunned, as the dark spread. His technique shrank away as if it had met a natural enemy, dissolving rapidly.

Sawada let Sage Mode fall away. A skin of black matter shrouded his whole body. “Funny. The older you are, the more cautious you should be,” he said, lifting his head. “Didn’t think you’d be this confident.”

The mocking smile on his lips needled Ōnoki like a thorn.

“I knew it. Sawada’s fine!” Jiraiya laughed from the ground.

“Jiraiya! If you want to die, don’t drag me with you!” Gamabunta snapped. He was wrestling a tailed beast, and this guy still had time to check on other fights.

“It’s fine. Either way, I can’t get shown up by my junior,” Jiraiya said, waving a hand. He formed seals and slapped both palms onto Gamabunta’s head.

“Ma, Jiraiya-boy, why the sudden summon?” “Right, Jiraiya-boy, I was in the middle of fixing dinner,” said two small, cloaked toads as they settled on his shoulders—Fukasaku and Shima.

“Sorry to trouble you, elders,” Jiraiya said. “This one isn’t simple.”

Fukasaku peered out, spotted the beast swaying its five tails, and paused. “I see. A tailed beast. Ma, let’s move.”

“What a pain. Gamabunta, no slacking!” Shima barked down at the toad boss.

Gamabunta: …

“Damn you, Jiraiya. I’m pounding you later!” Gamabunta thundered, then kicked off. His huge form lunged for the Five-Tails. With this much fury, he’d take it out on the beast that was about to lose control of its mind.

“Impossible,” Ōnoki whispered, staring at the empty air where his technique had been. It had been completely absorbed. How was that even possible?

Sawada spread his hands, curious at the taste of the chakra interplay. So this was Kekkei Tōta. Three different chakra nature transformations woven into one. The Second Tsuchikage, who created Dust Release, had been a true genius. Hah—were all the second Kage this brilliant?

He thought of the Second Raikage of Kumogakure and shook his head.

“Hey, old man. Want to see how your favorite technique looks from the receiving end?” Sawada called, smiling toward Ōnoki.

“W-what?!” Ōnoki blinked, then seemed to understand. Disbelief twisted his face.

Sawada raised a hand. Two fingers pressed together. A tiny transparent cube flickered into life at his fingertip.

“Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique”

A great white beam roared from his hand, spearing toward Ōnoki.

“Impossible!” Ōnoki’s eyes bulged as the beam slammed into him and drove him down toward the earth.

“Tch. Figures. A bootleg’s still a bootleg. Just breaking it down isn’t enough,” Sawada said, lowering his hand. The beam’s power didn’t match Ōnoki’s own. It wasn’t even a third as strong. Still, it was a nice surprise.

He angled himself and dove. This war should end here. All that was left was convincing Ōnoki to surrender.